Overview

• Sanae Takaichi said Japan could seek to renegotiate a recent U.S.-linked trade arrangement tied to a US$550 billion Japanese investment fund if implementation proves unfair, contrasting with Shinjiro Koizumi’s defense of the deal on Fuji TV.
• A new Kyodo poll of LDP supporters puts Takaichi first at 34.4% and Koizumi second at 29.3%, reinforcing a two-person contest heading into the Oct. 4 leadership vote.
• Lawmaker backing remains strongest for Koizumi, with more than 80 endorsements versus about 60 for Yoshimasa Hayashi and around 40 for Takaichi, pointing to a likely same-day runoff.
• The election will allocate 295 votes to Diet members and 295 from rank-and-file ballots in the first round, then shift to 342 ballots in a runoff comprising 295 lawmakers and 47 prefectural chapters.
• Policy debates are centering on rising prices and property concerns, as a Kyodo survey of local LDP chapter executives shows nearly 70% favor tighter curbs on foreign land purchases and polling highlights inflation as the top priority.